Did I spell that right? Cause I sure have one.
On the one hand, we have a really healthy diet. I LOVE making healthy foods for my family and buying organic whenever possible. The Health Food Store and Frontier Coop are my favorite places to shop. I make as much from scratch as I can and seldom buy pre-packaged foods, other than crackers and chips. And even those I get organic. We steer clear of food colorings...there are 2 of us with food allergies. I don't like MSG and preservatives either. It's important to me to fill my house with products that are safe and not laden with chemicals.
On the other hand, I LOVE to save money. I buy on clearance and sales. I shop around. I clip coupons. If something is a little cheaper than something I normally buy, I go for it...as long as the choice isn't organic or non-organic. If that's my choice I always pay more, because I prefer the organic.
So my conundrum is this: If I can get something for free, but it's not an organic/natural product, do I serve my family?
At church Wednesdays there is almost always leftovers. And usually as unhealthy as you can get. UNHEALTHY. But anyone can take it home. Usually it's still there when we leave. Since we are the biggest family in the church we are often offered the food. And HEY FREE FOOD. No way will I turn it down. But if I were cooking it would be made totally different.
I also get coupons that will give me a free product. Maybe cereal, or pasta. Stuff I wouldn't pay for or normally serve. But it's free.
So I don't know what to do about that. Do I serve these free products, simply because they are free even though they are really unhealthy and against my BELIEFS. Okay, well that's a little strong and I'm getting carried away...but you can see how very confused I am.
What would you do?
5 comments:
Organic food is a big deal for me and I won't buy cheaper food just to save money. My husband is a teacher and going to school so money is tight but this is something that is important to us.
Here is a post I did about organic on a budget.
http://retrohousewife05.blogspot.com/2008/07/being-green-on-budget-food.html
If you want my links to online organic coupons send me an e-mail and I will send them to you. :)
Finally found post with the coupon pages-
http://retrohousewife05.blogspot.com/2008/06/being-green-on-budget-part-1.html
thats a hard one i do personally get the junk if its gonna be free or close to free just to have on hand and then i give alot away to!!
If your priority is really healthy food, it doesn't seem like you should take home the leftovers... unless you pass them along to someone else. Maybe an elderly neighbor who'd like a nice dinner and some company, or if there's anyone suffering through an illness, or enjoying the birth of a new child in the family.
Likewise for the free coupons - get the items and pass them along to someone who will use them. I always get free shampoos, deodorants, and toothpastes from Rite Aid after rebates, so those go straight into our charity bin. If your church or town has a food pantry, take them there - I'm always taking free and cheap items to the food pantry nearby, and they're very appreciative in these difficult times since food donations are down and more people are hoping to receive free groceries. Or again, if you know people who are having financial woes or are just too busy/distracted to go shopping, give these items to them.
Yea, you are all right.
Anon, thanks for your POV. I'm going to start using my coupons for donations. That's a great idea.
Post a Comment